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Sailing
U.S. SailGP Team Announces ‘Foiling First’ Partnership Program
By: JORDAN B. DARLING
NEW YORK— On June 24 the United States SailGP Team announced they were accepting applications for community organizations to partner with Foiling First, a progra set to advance diversity and inclusion in the sport and provide the first professional pathway to foiling in the United States.
The program was developed as part of SailGP’s #RacefortheFuture and will build on the existing social impact commitment from SailGP to advance change in American sailing.
There are three layers to the partnership program, “partner organizations will build a fleet of foiling boats upon which community members will learn to sail (organizations with existing fleets of foiling boats are welcome to apply); U.S. SailGP Team athletes and coaches will lead annual ‘Coach Clinics’ with partner organizations – multi-day courses held at centralized national locations that will equip coaches to instruct foiling and serve as a forum for collaboration on training curriculums; to further increase accessibility for communities less exposed to the sport of sailing and to champion diversity, partner organizations will choose one diversity-focused organization in their community to work with, supported by Foiling First, to create introductions to the sport of sailing,” according to a June 24 press release from Sail GP.
On the same day the team announced that Bristol Yacht Club and East Bay Sailing Foundation have joined as founding partners of the Foiling First: Partnership Program.
As part of the commitment to join the program, the two groups have committed to hosting a Foiling First: Learn to Foil Camp on June 20 and 21, the camp is in partnership with Melges Performance Sailboats and will have U.S. SailGp Team athletes facilitating a multi-day course to introduce community youth and coaches to foiling. For more information see FoilingFirst.com.
US SailGP is launching a community partnership program as part of its #RacefortheFuture movement.
A dinghy poker run in Long Beach Marina raises $2,000 for the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro.
Low Tide Yacht Club Hosts Dinghy Run
By: JORDAN B. DARLING
LONG BEACH— Thirteen dinghies gathered around the back of the two-tiered power boat as Steve Hyham, co-founder of Low Tide Yacht Club, gave the opening speech and laid down the rules for the 2nd Annual Dinghy Poker Run.
Jimmy Buffet was playing low from a boat stereo and a summer breeze came off the water cooling off the group of over 20 people gathered around to participate in the run. After a fair amount of heckling and last-minute checks, Brandy Hyham, co-founder of Low Tide Yacht Club, rang a large brass bell and the dinghies took off across the water set on a mission for the best five card poker hand.
On June 26 the Low Tide Yacht Club hosted their second annual Dinghy Poker Run benefitting the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro.
The event, open to all participants with a dinghy, winded its way through Long Beach Marina stopping at stations along the way, from the Naples Canal where a couple of Marines volunteering for the event used the house under construction as inspiration for a handy-man themed spot to the beach on the peninsula where the Marine Mammal Care Center had parked under an umbrella for the day to pass out poker cards and information about the center to participants.
The Low Tide Yacht Club got its start in the slip of water between docks 17 and 18 in 2019. A bunch of boaters floating around behind their boats, sharing beers and laughs, joined together to create their own club where they could share their love of boats, Jimmy Buffet, and good time. Brandy and Steve Hyham were floating in the water behind their boat with their neighbor and friend Mark Rowen when the group began to toss around the idea of creating their own yacht club right there in the harbor where they could enjoy their friends and also raise money for charity.
“We wanted to have fun and a fun way for making money for charity,” said Mark Rowen, co-founder of Low Tide Yacht Club.
From a fleeting thought to putting pen to paper, the Low Tide Yacht Club drinkers with a boating problem became a reality. The club’s little community, recognized by the American Yacht Club Association in 2021, meets in between dock 17 and 18 to hold charity events, movie nights in the water, and other group events throughout the year.
“I think the important thing is that we are a free club and this is really what we want to do with people’s money,” said Hyham. “Instead of having membership dues, we have no overhead, so our membership dues really go to charity. If someone can contribute $20, we will take it, if someone can do $200, we will take it. We really aren’t interested in how much money someone makes… Everyone is welcome, come down and have a good time.”
The event ended at 5 p.m. with a small celebration on the peninsula where the award for the best hand, a donated blow-up paddleboard, and the “biggest-loser” a large bottle of Kraken Rum, were passed out and a large $2,000 check to the Marine Mammal Care Center was gifted to representatives Dave Bader, chief operations and education officer, and Amber Becerra, president and CEO of the center.
This is the second year that the club has focused its event on the Marine Mammal Care Center, and according to Hyham the relationship will continue on to raise money for marine mammals.
“We love the ocean and it brings us joy, we want to take care of it,” said Brandy Hyham.
To learn more about the center see https://marinemammalcare.org/, and for more information on Low Tide Yacht Club see www.lowtideyachtclub.com.
The annual award celebrates the effective execution or ongoing delivery of high-impact, highly replicable sustainability initiatives by those involved in the sport of sailing.
By: LINDSEY GLASGOW
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND— World Sailing, the world governing body for the sport of sailing, has announced a fouryear partnership extension with 11th Hour Racing for the title sponsorship of the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award.
“11th Hour Racing shares our commitment to sustainability and safeguarding the oceans and waterways that our sport is dependent on,” said David Graham, World Sailing chief executive officer, in a press release. “They have a long-standing history of celebrating and supporting sustainability initiatives and today’s partnership extension showcases this in action.”
According to World Sailing, the award is the highest recognition of success in marine sustainability and is given for high-impact, highly replicable sustainability initiatives aligned to World Sailing’s Sustainability Agenda 2030. The award winners receive a trophy made from recycled carbon fiber sourced from an America’s Cup boat and infused with bio-resin, and a $10,000 prize to help further their sustainability activities.
“This award was established to encourage the sailing community to deepen its sustainability efforts through collaboration and innovation,” said Jeremy Pochman, co-founder and CEO of 11th Hour Racing, in a press release. “Building on this momentum, we are proud to continue sponsoring the award for another four years.”
The 2021 Sustainability Award opened for applications on July 9 and can be accessed at sailing.org. The winner will be announced at the annual World Sailing Awards, a celebration of the sport which includes the awarding of the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award, Team of the Year, and Boat of the Year.
Corpus Christi Yacht Club won the inaugural Sustainability Award in 2018 following the successful delivery of the 2018 Youth Sailing World Championships, which was the first edition of the event with a focus on ocean conservation and sustainability, according to World Sailing.
The Royal Yachting Association/The Green Blue won the Award in 2019 for their efforts to empower boaters in the United Kingdom to take action on sustainability by providing clear training and guidance on key issues to over 1,500 sailing clubs and 1,500 sail training centers.
In 2020, public voting was introduced to engage the international sailing community. With 10,000 votes received, Starboard, a stand-up paddleboard, wing, kite, and windsurfing equipment producer, won the award for their sustainability initiatives, including their Plastic Offset Program, which collects 2.4 pounds of ocean and beach trash for every board sold.
Starboard Facebook photo Starboard is the most recent winner of the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award. The company’s sustainability initiatives include collecting 2.4 pounds of ocean and beach plastic and trash for every board purchased.
ON THE HORIZON
By: LINDSEY GLASGOW
Neil McGuinness Twilight Series, July 23Sept. 3
Organized by Coronado Yacht Club, this is a four-race series in the San Diego Bay with events held July 23, Aug. 6, Aug. 20, and Sept. 3. The regatta is open to all members of yacht clubs and sailing associations recognized by US Sailing. Races are free for CYC members and $30 for non-CYC members. Registration can be completed online at regattanetwork.com. All entries must be submitted by the day of the race by 9 a.m.
54th Governor’s Cup, July 26 - 31
Organized by Balboa Yacht Club and presented by Disc Sports & Spine Center, the Governor’s Cup is an invitational event for sailors from all over the world under the age of 23. Racing will take place in the Pacific Ocean adjacent to Newport Beach July 27 through July 31. After the races on July 30, BYC will host a special reception and press conference for the teams, members, and non-members. A trophy presentation and reception will follow the final day of races. Many of the sailors and world champions that have sailed in the Governor’s Cup have gone on to the America’s Cup, Olympic Games, the World Match Race Tour, and the Round the World Race.
2021 Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race, July 30-31
Organized by Santa Barbara Yacht Club and King Harbor Yacht Club, this regatta is a distance race spanning 81 nautical miles and has been a tradition for Santa Barbara and King Harbor for 48 years. The event is open to vessels whose owners or charterers are members of a yacht club or sailing organization recognized by US Sailing holding a valid rating certificate. The race will be followed by a trophy presentation at KHYC followed by the KHYC Famous Jumbo Shrimp Feed. Shrimp Feed Reservations must be made in advance by contacting KHYC club manager at 310-376-2459. Boats 50 feet or more in length overall will have an entry fee of $200 and Boats under 50 feet will have an entry fee of $150. Entries received on or before July 11 will receive a $25 entry discount. July 21 is the entry deadline. The online entry form and more information is available at sbyc.org/2018-sb-kh.
OYC Elizabeth Hospice Charity Regatta, July 31-Aug. 1
Organized by Oceanside Yacht Club, this regatta raises funds for The Elizabeth Hospice of North County San Diego. The regatta is open to members of yacht clubs and sailing associations recognized by the Southern California Yachting Association or US Sailing. The regatta is open to the following one-design classes: Schock 35, Beneteau First 36.7, Holder 20, Capri 25, Catalina 27, J24, J80, Olson 30, J120, and yachts holding a current valid Southern California or San Diego PHRF certificate rating between –18 and 240. Entries are due by July 29. The entry fee is $45. Registration can be completed online at regattanetwork. com/event/22791.
Annual McNish Classic Yacht Race, July 31
Hosted by Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club, this regatta attracts a wide range of classic vessels – from the 135-foot America to 18-foot Gearys. The race takes place on a 17-mile course on the waters of Channel Islands and Ventura harbors. Friday night, prior to the race, there will be a free taco bar. A BBQ and trophy presentation will take place at Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club following the race and trophies will be awarded in each class. The entry fee is $25 and the BBQ is $25. For more information and to register visit pcyc.org/ copy-of-mccune-memorial.
